


I Believe In You

by Fumm95



Series: Dragon Age Drabbles [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Actually no I'm not sorry at all, Alternate Ending, Angst, Death, F/M, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I apologize in advance for the angst, I ended up writing a new ending so it doesn't have to end sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-21 10:04:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3688110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fumm95/pseuds/Fumm95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His eyes flickered to the sky, and then back to her. "I believe in you."</p><p>Now with happy alternative ending!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on another one of those calming prompts that went very far into angst-ville. I’m so sorry.
> 
> Originally posted on tumblr.

“No. NO!” Esther’s voice rose as she sprinted across the grass and dropped to her knees beside the still form.

“Cullen!” She reached a glowing hand out to him but stopped herself. She had no formal training in healing and never had her weakness hit her harder. What if she made things worse?

He took her hand, slowly, painfully, as his eyes opened. His warm golden gaze, bright but already turning hazy, focused on her intently.

“Esther,” he gasped weakly. “I-”

“No,” she whispered. “It’s going to be okay. Stay with me, Cullen. The others are on their way. Just a little longer. Dorian or Solas can help.” The words were coming faster, tumbling over each other as she rambled and distracted herself from her struggles to stem the blood pouring from his wound.

“Esther,” he repeated, a sad smile on his lips. “S-sorry.”

She swallowed hard, feeling her eyes burn. “No. Don’t you dare leave me,” she demanded, leaning over him, her face inches from his. “Do you understand me?”

When he reached out a hand to brush her cheek gently, her strength broke. “Please,” she breathed, her voice cracking. “Don’t leave me, Cullen. I-I can’t do this without you. I _need_ you.”

His reply was shaky, almost inaudible, but he smiled painfully as his eyes flickered to the sky, then back to her. “I believe in you. Esther, I love-”


	2. Never Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate ending: Cullen only fell unconscious and Dorian managed to make it to them in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to and requested by kc_evans, who challenged me to take something and turn the ending’s mood 180 degrees. So I thought I’d take a sad drabble and make it happy, or at least happier.

He came to slowly, scarcely believing that he had not yet joined the Maker’s side. The jolt of pain that settled into his consciousness, interrupting his quiet bliss, seemed to confirm his suspicions, however, unless the Chant of Light had been severely misinformed about what it meant to be lifted from a world of pain.

The dry, slightly blasphemous thought reminded him very much of a short-haired woman and his eyes snapped open when he remembered just who she was, and why exactly he was in pain.

It appeared as though he had been moved to a hastily set up healer’s tent, and he turned his head slowly to the side at the sound of voices from just outside.

“I’m not leaving and you can’t make me,” Esther shouted, clear even through the cloth blocking his view of them, and she suddenly stormed back in, still arguing with the dark-haired mage following her.

“You haven’t rested or eaten anything more than few bites in days,” Dorian protested. “You’ll be no good to anyone sick or-”

“There are more important people to be worried about!” she retorted. She did look tired, worry etched into the haggard lines of her face, the bags under her eyes, but there was no sign of exhaustion when she noticed that he was awake and marched to his side, eyes flashing, throwing a flippant “I’ll be fine!” over her shoulder to the scowling Tevinter.

“And you!” she snapped, jabbing a finger towards his chest as he moved to sit up. “Don’t you dare do anything like that again, you idiot!” Her anger was belied by the gentleness with which she pushed him back down to rest on the cot, fingers trembling oh-so-slightly with relief. “If Dorian hadn’t arrived in time, I would have found a way to revive you just to kill you myself!”

Behind her, Dorian covered his face with a hand and mouthed an apology before moving to pull her away, but Cullen only grinned, acquiescing to her gentle ministrations. “Never again,” he vowed.


End file.
